Author: Linni Kral
Spitz, the lovechild of Oxy grads Bryce Rademan ’05 and Robert Wicklund ’05, is no secret to Occidental. A year since its opening, the Eagle Rock eatery has become a favorite amongst students and locals, with its slow-roasted döner kebab and crunchy sweet potato fries. And if Rademan and Wicklund have their way, it’s only a matter of time before it becomes a city-wide staple.
The Turkish-style eatery celebrated its first anniversary on April 14 by offering free gelato with every order. They are also shopping for a space to open their second Spitz location. Rademan and Wicklund are attempting to secure a space in Little Tokyo on the corner of 2nd and Central Ave., near the Museum of Contemporary Art. It is a new building with 250 loft apartments located above the storefronts.
“We had driven all around Westwood and Pasadena and [Little Tokyo] emerged as an untapped area,” Rademan said. “There’s a huge amount of people moving in here and the businesses haven’t caught up to the population.”
Rademan said they want to cater to the yuppie crowd and those working in city services who deserve better than fast food but can’t afford to eat at expensive restaurants every day. The new store will be twice the size of the Eagle Rock location and will be zoned to include a ten-seat patio. They will keep their industrial art deco design, with the addition of greenery and hanging plants to offer a “reprieve from the concrete jungle,” Rademan said.
Spitz included plans for franchising even in the first drafts of their business plan, and the owners hope this second store will be the first of many future expansions.
“It was never my goal to have one store, I was emulating what I saw abroad in Europe, where there were four doner shops on every block and they generated more sales than Burger King and McDonalds combined,” Rademan said.
Spitz currently manufactures its own food because their meat cannot be bought from any other purveyors in the area. They hope to open three to five of their own businesses before opening it up to franchise owners, who will purchase a territory such as Los Angeles and agree to open 30 stores in that area. Spitz would manufacture their meat, sell to these owners and receive a percentage of the royalties as well as the sales. Rademan and Wicklund do not plan to make many changes to their menu as the business grows. They based their menu on places like In-N-Out and Chipotle that thrive on serving just the basics.
“We aren’t trying to do everything under the sun,” Rademan said. “If you want a döner kebab, you come to us. If you want a panini sandwich, you go somewhere else.”
He did, however, mention the possible addition of healthier side options such as veggies and hummus, as well as the integration of more drinks. Their simple menu has won them a spot on Citysearch’s Top 10 Fast Food places in Los Angeles, alongside staples like Zankou Chicken. They were also dubbed a Best New Restaurant in Los Angeles Magazine’s First Annual Restaurant Awards, where they rub shoulders with the likes of Wolfgang Puck and restaurants that charge $50 at lunchtime.
While negotiations on the lease are still underway, the owners are optimistic. “If it goes through, which it looks like it should, we would be open within six to eight months of signing it,” Rademan said. This means a downtown Spitz would likely be available by the winter of this year.
Updates can be found on their website at www.eatatspitz.com.
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